Chapter 116

ASHER

As the tension mounted in the room, Jax paced back and forth, his agitation palpable. He finally stopped, turning to face me and Knox, his expression resolute. “We need to tell her, Asher. Keeping this from Isabella isn’t an option. She deserves to know, especially if her mother is alive and could be a threat.”

Knox crossed his arms, his jaw set. “It’s not that simple, Jax. You saw how shaken she was after finding that letter. If we drop this bombshell on her now, we’ll risk pushing her over the edge. She’s pregnant—her health comes first.”

Jax shook his head, frustrated. “I get that she’s fragile, but hiding something this huge from her isn’t protecting her. It’s lying to her. Do you want her to find out some other way? What if her mother shows up and we’ve kept her in the dark? She’ll feel like we betrayed her trust.”

Knox leaned forward, his voice low but firm. “And what happens if she can’t handle it? If this news causes more harm than good? We don’t know what kind of emotional stress it’ll put on her. Right now, our priority has to be her well-being and the baby. We’re talking about a woman she thought was dead—who’s part of a group that hunts our kind. It’s too much to throw at her all at once.”

Jax wasn’t having it. “We’re her mates. We vowed to protect her, but we also promised to trust her. She’s stronger than you’re giving her credit for. Isabella deserves to make her own choices, not have us decide what she can or can’t handle.”

I’d been quiet, watching the back-and-forth, trying to make sense of everything. Both of them had valid points, but I needed to think strategically.

“I see both sides,” I said, rubbing my temples as I spoke. “Jax, I agree she has a right to know. But Knox is right too—telling her now could have serious consequences. We’ve seen how quickly stress affects her. She’s been having false contractions, and the last thing I want is for this to trigger something worse.”

Jax threw his hands up, clearly exasperated. “So what, we just keep it a secret? For how long? She’s already in the middle of this whether she likes it or not. If her mother really is a high-ranking hunter, we could be walking into a trap, and Isabella deserves to be prepared.”

Knox frowned, his voice calmer but resolute. “We need time, Jax. We need to figure out more about her mother’s current involvement before we tell Isabella anything. If we go to her with just half the story, we’ll create more confusion and fear than necessary. She’s already trying to process the idea that her mother might still be alive. Let’s not add another layer of chaos to that.”

Jax stepped closer to Knox, glaring at him. “You’re afraid of her reaction. Admit it. You don’t want her to know because you’re scared she’ll hate us for keeping it from her for even a second.”

Knox’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t flinch. “I’m not scared of her hating us, Jax. I’m scared of losing her or the baby. You think you’re the only one who wants to tell her the truth? Of course, I do! But I won’t risk her health for the sake of my conscience.”

Jax opened his mouth to retort, but I stepped between them. “Enough, both of you.” They turned their attention to me, their expressions tense.

“We’re all worried about her,” I continued. “But we need to think this through. Jax, you’re right—Isabella deserves the truth. But Knox is right about the timing. We can’t rush this. We’ll tell her, but we need to gather more information first. I don’t want to hit her with half-baked details. Connor’s still digging. Let’s give him more time to find out exactly what Isabella’s mother is involved in and where she is now.”

Jax clenched his fists at his sides, still clearly upset. “How long are we talking?”

“A few days, at most,” I said. “We’ll keep a close eye on her, and we’ll make sure she’s prepared for whatever comes. But right now, we need to make sure we’re fully prepared too. We can’t risk her spiraling, not when her health is already fragile.”

Knox nodded, still tense but agreeing with my reasoning. “We need to protect her, even if it means waiting. When the time comes, we’ll tell her everything.”

Jax looked like he was about to argue again, but then he sighed, shoulders slumping. “Fine. But we don’t wait too long. She’s smarter than we think, and if she starts feeling like we’re hiding something, it’ll be worse.”

I gave him a firm nod. “Agreed.”

The room fell silent, all three of us processing the weight of what we had just decided. We were in uncharted territory, juggling secrets that could shatter the peace we had built with Isabella.

And yet, for her sake—and the baby’s—this was the only course we could take.

For now.

SPENCER

As I stood just outside the room, listening to their voices through the barely cracked door, a sense of dread crept up my spine. I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop—hell, I wasn’t even trying to—but the second I caught wind of what they were talking about, I froze.

My gut twisted as their words echoed in my mind. Isabella’s mother… a werewolf hunter? And alive?

I clenched my fists at my sides, every instinct screaming at me that this was bigger than any of us had anticipated. My protective instincts, the ones I was born with, the ones that defined who I was, flared up stronger than ever. Something primal surged in my chest, a fierce need to shield Isabella from whatever storm was coming, no matter what.

But how? How the hell were we supposed to protect her from this?

They were keeping things from her, and I understood why. The last few days had been hard enough on her, and if they dumped this revelation on her now… I shuddered to think of how it would affect her, especially with the baby. Still, the weight of the secret felt heavy. Secrets like these had a way of exploding at the worst possible time.

I exhaled slowly, leaning against the wall, my mind racing. The more I thought about it, the more my concern grew. If Isabella’s mother had truly been part of a group that hunted our kind, and was somehow still out there… What if she was planning something? What if she wasn’t alone? What if all of this—the sudden discovery of the bone, the revelations—was part of some larger scheme? The timing was too convenient.

And the worst part? I had no clue what we were up against. The only thing I did know was that the woman I was meant to protect was right in the middle of it.

My chest tightened as I thought of Isabella—how fragile she had seemed, how easily her emotions had shifted lately. She was strong, I knew that. But even the strongest people had breaking points. And I was afraid this might be hers.

I could hear Asher’s voice through the door, calm and collected as always, and Jax’s frustration simmering beneath the surface. Knox was more controlled, though I could tell he was just as concerned. They were all struggling to figure out what to do next, but none of them were considering what was eating me up inside.

They hadn’t been there the other night when Isabella collapsed. They hadn’t seen how pale she was, how her body had practically given up under the weight of her emotions. If something like that happened again, if the stress from this pushed her too far… I shook the thought from my head. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t.

A soft sound behind me startled me from my thoughts. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Isabella, still asleep on the couch, her face peaceful and relaxed, completely unaware of the chaos brewing around her. Watching her like that only made the need to protect her stronger.

I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit by and let them keep this from her forever. But at the same time, I knew I couldn’t rush in. As much as it pained me to admit, Asher was right—there needed to be more information. More certainty. Otherwise, we could end up making things worse.

But I couldn’t just stand by, either.

I took one last look through the crack in the door, hearing Jax’s frustrated sigh, before slipping away down the hall. My mind was already working on a plan. I would find out what I could—about Isabella’s mother, about these hunters, about everything. And I’d make damn sure she was safe, no matter what it took.

They could argue about what to do, but my path was clear.

I was her protector. And I’d protect her—whether they liked it or not.